Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review: versatile soundbar

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a soundbar that works with the Google Assistant and the spatial sound effects of Dolby Atmos. It is the second generation that comes with a renewed design and an improved speaker setup. This is the review.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Sonos has announced a new soundbar: the renewed version of the Beam. The second generation comes with a renewed design, an improved speaker arrangement and support for 3D sound from Dolby Atmos. Those are the sound effects that have to come from all directions. The new Beam is rather priced in the mid-range.

As a satisfied owner of the first generation Sonos Beam, I was given the opportunity to test the renewed soundbar with the AW Beta Team in recent weeks. Is the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) a good choice if you don’t already own a soundbar? And if you already own a Sonos Beam, is this Gen 2 a good reason to replace your current soundbar?

Recognizable design

As with all Sonos products, the packaging alone is a feast for the eyes. Sonos uses packaging materials that are easy to recycle. As soon as I took the Beam out, nothing seemed to have changed at first glance. The dimensions and round shapes are identical to the Gen 1 and the soundbar looks sleek and basic. In principle, it fits into any interior. The buttons on the top have remained the same, we see: touch buttons for volume down, a play and pause button and one to operate the microphone.

However, if you take a closer look at the housing, you notice that the speaker grill is finished with hard plastic and the fabric cover has disappeared. According to Sonos, this should improve the sound of the Beam (Gen 2). At the back you will find an input for the power cord, a UTP input and an HDMI port. There is also a button on the back to use when connecting your speaker to your Sonos app.

Easy installation

Connecting the Sonos Beam Gen (2) is fortunately a piece of cake. Your TV’s eARC HDMI port simply plugs into your soundbar’s HDMI port. Then continue the installation in the Sonos app, which immediately recognizes the newest toy in your living room. The easiest way to set up is via NFC, because if you tap on your soundbar, it can connect to your local Wi-Fi network and your Sonos account. If you have multiple Sonos speakers or a subwoofer, you can pair them with the Beam to expand the sound around your TV with surround.

Then the soundbar can play all the sound from your TV, including the devices connected to your TV. It also turns on and off automatically with your TV. You can also take the remote control of your television to adjust the sound on the Beam (Gen 2).

Sonos app

You can also stream music directly from your smartphone to the Beam (Gen 2) via your WiFi network. This can be done via AirPlay, Chromecast, wall switches, your TV remote, SonosNet, the Sonos app or third-party apps. This includes: Spotify Connect, Audible, Pandora and Tidal.

With the Sonos app you can adjust a number of settings – such as the equalizer – and control your system. Personally, I don’t think the app excels in user-friendliness, because sometimes you really have to search for the right settings and menus.

If you own an iPhone or iPad, you can use TruePlay in the app to control the sound of your Beam (Gen 2) fine-tune. TruePlay is a function in which the soundbar takes into account the furniture in your house and the acoustics of the room. Why the Beam (Gen 2) can only do this on iOS is a mystery. Basically, the device uses its own microphones to adjust the sound to the environment. It does work with the portable Sonos Move and TruePlay is really an added value, as you can read in our review of that speaker.

Smart sound bar

You can connect your soundbar to Google’s voice assistant from the Sonos app. You can also switch the assistant’s listening ear on or off with the touch button on the top of the Beam (Gen 2). It is also possible to cast music to the device, but you cannot add it to speaker groups. It’s no secret that Sonos and Google aren’t the best of friends. Are you an Alexa user? You can also address that assistant with the Beam (Gen 2).

Good sound, but stay realistic

If you’re used to watching TV with just your TV’s speakers, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is much more than a simple upgrade. The sound is so much more powerful: in the highs, as well as in the middle and low tones. Whether you’re enjoying a movie or using the speaker to play music. It is certain that you get a much fuller sound compared to the internal television speakers.

Unlike the previous generation, the Beam (Gen 2) supports Dolby Atmos. If you watch a series or movie via Netflix or another streaming service that sends the Dolby Atmos signal, you will experience a full and spacious sound in the room without having to use a surround setting.

I’ve played several movie scenes with a lot of action and the sound really pops into the living room. I did notice that this soundbar was a bit more Punch compared to the previous generation. Still, I was personally a bit disappointed, because the marketing of Sonos had set my expectations around the Dolby Atmos sound too high. While I secretly hoped for an experience closer to cinema surround, that was not really the case. The sound is mainly directed forwards and to a lesser extent upwards. As mentioned, the solid sound easily fills the room, but certainly don’t expect the same as surround.

I really liked playing music on the Beam (Gen 2), because the Beam (Gen 2) sounds good with the different music genres I tested. You can also adjust the sound with the equalizer in the Sonos app. Only the differences between the first generation and this successor are actually not audible, so in that respect it is disappointing.

Conclusion

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has been a wonderful soundbar for me in recent years, but with the help of Dolby Atmos, the second generation takes it a little further. The sound experience is even better in movies optimized for it. So as long as you don’t take the term ‘3D sound’ too much, you’re fine.

Can it be more than a sturdy speaker that blasts full sounds in the living room? If you want real surround, you will have to choose an adapted set. Although Sonos also offers the possibility to make your soundbar the center point in your surround setup. For example, I have chosen two extra Symfonisk bookshelf speakers that work as surround speakers on the left and right behind the sofa. But if you want to spend a little more, two Sonos One speakers are of course very suitable for this.

I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Sonos app until now. It all works fine and looks good too, but the user-friendliness could have been a bit better in my opinion.

In short: would I recommend the Beam (Gen 2) if you are looking for a soundbar? A resounding ‘yes’! Even though it is a pity that the suggested retail price for this successor has increased slightly, it remains a very strong product in exchange for your money. Do you have to run straight to the store for a new soundbar if you have a Beam (Gen 1)? No, because the differences with the first generation remain limited.

Buy Sonos Beam (Gen) 2

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is now for sale for 499 euros in a white and black color.